Matthew to Show Off his Risotto Skills in UK Competition 

A young chef from SERC has been selected to represent Northern Ireland at the UK final of a prestigious competition and is heading off to London to test his skills in the contest on Monday 2 June.

Matthew Beech, who is from Dunmurry, is studying on the Level 3 Professional Chef course at SERC Lisburn Campus. He has secured a place in the final of the Riso Gallo Young Risotto Chef of the Year Competition, following a win in the regional heat held at the University of Ulster on Friday 16 May.  

Two other SERC students also shone at the Northern Ireland heat: Owen Mendez, a Level 2 Professional Chef Trainee based at SERC Bangor Campus was a runner-up and has been accepted for an extended work experience stint at The Ivy restaurant in Belfast; and Abbie McCormick, who is a Level 2 Professional Chef Trainee at SERC Newtownards Campus, performed so well that she has been encouraged to compete at World Skills next year.   

For the regional heat, Matthew Beech impressed the judges with a spring vegetable risotto with goat’s cheese fritters, microbasil and scallions.   

He now takes his skills to Tottenham Hotspur H Club  where the UK final will be held on Monday (2 June).

SERC Professional Chef tutor Ian Thompson says, 

“We are all wishing Matthew the very best for the final in London – I am sure he will keep his cool and he will be able to draw on skills he has developed at SERC; his experience working at Neill’s Hill restaurant in Belfast will also stand him in good stead.  The SERC Hospitality team is very proud of all three of our finalists in the Northern Ireland heat – they were all excellent representatives of the benefits of the real-life learning we deliver to our students, and we'll be watching them all with interest as they progress in their chosen field.”